Finally, a note on the subtheme of "Runciman's disease." I have long been fascinated by epidemiology. Had I been a man of profound courage, I might have become a doctor. Possessed of lesser bravery, I became a soldier. I am interested in the influence of disease on history, whether it be the effect of the Black Death on economic systems, or of stomach cancer, hepatitis, and parasites on the political consciousness of the residents of the Soviet territories surrounding the Aral Sea. Spurred by the phenomenon of AIDS — a disease which has had a far greater impact on social consciousness than on mortality figures in the United States — I tried to imagine what effect a really virulent and contagious disease might have today. On one hand, our level of medical care in the First World is stunningly good; on the other, the world has acquired a new porousness, thanks to technology. A disease that once took a decade to two to creep from China to the English Channel can now make the trip in a day. We have a host of new vectors. After all, it was not really homosexuality or fouled syringes that delivered AIDS to the wealthy West— it was the airplane.
This is a shamelessly American book. We are the good guys on its pages as surely as I believe we are the good guys in "real life." When this novel reaches publication,
I will have lived and served abroad for almost a decade in total. Instead of becoming more worldly, I find that I only become more convinced that the United States of America is mankind's most perfect creation to date. Certainly, we Americans are not without our flaws. We have, at times, been mortally foolish. But it is only thanks to us that even a small part of the world may live peacefully and decently today. There has never been a victor more benevolent, nor an ally so generous. Our errors were committed with the best of intentions, and our sacrifices redeemed the grimmest century in the history of mankind. I can only hope that my writing, for all of its many, many failings, serves my country well.
— Ralph Peters
About the Author
RALPH PETERS is a U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer specializing in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe — where he has traveled widely and speaks a variety of local languages. He is the author of two previous novels—Bravo Romeo and the New York Times bestseller Red Army.
RALPH PETERS is a U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer specializing in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe— where he has traveled widely and speaks a variety of local languages. He is the author of two previous novels — Bravo Romeo and the New York Times bestseller Red Army. He is currently working on a new novel to be published by Pocket Books.